FREDERICTON, NB – The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce has announced the finalists for its 2019 Business Excellence Awards.
 

Each year, the awards selection committee is chaired by the chamber’s immediate past president and includes members from the local business community as well as other stakeholders. The 2019 chair is Chamber Past President Ryan Boyer of Cain Boyer Benefits Group.
 

“The Business Excellence Awards Gala is always an eye-opening night for me,” said Boyer. “I learn about new companies and organizations, get to know business owners and their story and realize just how many great things are happening in our community. Chairing the committee this year has been an opportunity to get into the process much deeper and appreciate the efforts and successes of the business community in Fredericton.”
 

In addition to the finalists in the six categories below, the awards selection committee has chosen the Crowne Plaza Fredericton Lord Beaverbrook Hotel as the 2019 recipient of the Spacek, Armstrong and Norrad Chartered Professional Accountants Resilience Award. This award recognizes a business that has overcome a major challenge that was not exclusively financial in nature.
 

Located on the banks of the St. John River, the hotel has had to deal with severe spring flooding in 2018 and 2019 – a challenge for any business, but particularly in the hospitality / accommodations industry. Exacerbating the situation, the hotel has also been undergoing extensive renovations over the past several years.
 

“The spring freshet over past two years has certainly presented monumental challenges for the hotel, but I have to say that coming out the other end we have emerged as a closer, more united organization – they are like family,” said Dan Myers, General Manager of the Crowne Plaza. “The team we have here is amazing all-year round, but the way everyone – and I mean everyone – steps up to go above and beyond during flooding is more than any manager could ever ask for.”
 

The hotel’s challenges aren’t limited to trying to keep water out of the basement. They lose access to their parking lot, employees are dealing with flooding at home and the level of stress is elevated for weeks at a time before, during and after the freshet.
 

“From monitoring the river and tides to sandbags and hoses to our 24-hour sump pump watch, it’s incredible to watch the teamwork – we hardly even need a ‘to-do list’ anymore – everyone knows what to do and they get to it,” added Myers. “I would also be remiss if I didn’t also acknowledge and thank our guests for their understanding, kindness and positive attitude throughout the flooding and its aftermath. It would certainly be understandable if our complaints went up during this time, but it’s actually the opposite – guests are thankful for our efforts, not resentful of the situation.”
 

“The Crowne Plaza Fredericton Lord Beaverbrook Hotel is such a key part of our history and downtown landscape it is wonderful to see the team being recognized for their resilience through truly difficult circumstances,” said Krista Ross, Fredericton Chamber CEO. “I am excited for October 3 to recognize the Crowne, all of the finalists and celebrate all of the recipients of our 2019 awards – they are some of the best that our community has to offer.”
 

Finalists for the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce 2019 Business Excellence Awards are:
 

Credit Unions Small Business Award

• Bringloe Feeney LLC
• New View Designs by Laurie Cole Inc.
• The Medicine Shoppe Brookside

CBDC Southwest Large Business Award

• AV Group NB
• Exit Realty
• UPS

Jim Gilbert’s Wheels & Deals Not-For-Profit Organization Award

• Fredericton Public Library
• Habitat for Humanity
• YMCA of Fredericton

Elliott McCrea Hill Community Involvement Award

• APEGNB
• Atlantic Growth Solutions
• Liberty Utilities

Wilson Insurance Ltd. Start-Up Award

• Educated Beards
• J. Donovan Law Group
• My Closet Consignment

Opportunities NB (Opportunités NB) Business Person of the Year Award

• Gilles Volpé – Liberty Utilities
• Johanne Gallant – Fredericton International Airport Authority Inc.
• Sara Holyoke – Delta Hotels by Marriott Fredericton

The recipients will be announced at an awards ceremony on 3 October 2019 at the Delta Fredericton by Marriott. Tickets are available at www.frederictonchamber.ca or by calling the office at (506) 458-8006.
 

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The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, a nationally accredited organization with nearly 1,000 members, is an active business organization engaged in policy development and advocacy that affects the competitiveness of our members and the Canadian business environment. The Chamber’s vision is ‘Community Prosperity Through Business’. 
 

Contact: Krista Ross, CEO, Fredericton Chamber of Commerce – (506) 458-8006